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Apple-Sweet Potato Soup & Shallot Croutons

This vegan Thanksgiving soup, that's absolutely perfect for a first course.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword fall and winter soups, gluten-free crouton ideas
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4 to 6
Calories 325 kcal
Author Valentina K. Wein

Ingredients

  • olive oil for the pan
  • 1 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh herb mix of rosemary, sage, thyme, and marjoram, roughly chopped
  • 5 cups (about 1 1/4-pounds) sweet potatoes roughly chopped, peeled (pieces should be about 1/2-inch)
  • 1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Marsala wine
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 medium-sized shallots

Instructions

  1. Lightly coat the bottom of a large stockpot with olive oil. Place the pot over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Then add the herbs, mix to combine, and cook until it's very aromatic, about 30 seconds.

  2. Add the sweet potatoes and apple, mix to combine and cook just until some of the sweet potatoes are beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the Marsala and use a flat-bottomed wooden spatula to scrape all the tasty bits of food from the bottom and into the mixture.

  3. Pour in the cider and the stock and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. When you pierce one of the pieces of yam with a fork, it should fall right off.

  4. Turn the heat off and use an immersion blender, or standing blender to purée the soup until it's very smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)

  5. To make the shallot "croutons," peel and cut each shallot into 1/2-inch slices. Coat a small sauté pan with olive oil over high heat. Once it's very hot add the shallot slices -- if you don't hear a sizzle, the pan isn't hot enough. Wait until it is! Sauté the shallot slices until each side is very nicely browned, about 30 seconds or so. Use a tiny, flat-bottomed, off-set spatula to flip and remove them from the pan. Float a few on top of each bowl of soup.